Why Should I Have To Worry About It?

I haven't been writing much lately.  When tax season ends, I'm not as busy, but I don't have any staff, either.  When you're in the tax business, people just assume that you have nothing to do for the next 8 months or so.  But there are always people who procrastinate.  Always people getting audited or facing IRS collections.  Financial plans to be compiled.

I frequently work 50-60 hour weeks off season.  Which isn't as bad as maybe 90 hours or more at the peak of tax season.  Not many business owners ever work a 40 hour week.

I mention this because of something someone said to me lately.  He didn't like some of the provisions of his state's school attendance law.  I agreed with him that the law was somewhat draconian.

Well, many of you know me, and know that I get a bit preachy when it comes to local politics.  I see opportunities to actually have some influence at these levels.  Which are the levels of government that affect your lives most frequently and directly anyway.

I suggested that he get to know his state senator and representative.  To at least know who they are.  It's unlikely that you'll become the constituent that they'll consult before every decision.  They may make every effort to ignore you.  You can reach out, but you can't make them engage or remember you.

But you do have some access.  And if you're not the only one concerned, if enough people bitch to their reps about the same things, maybe something will happen.  Maybe not.  In fact, nothing at all will happen, more often than not.  But you can always try, and you may be pleasantly surprised the one time in a hundred when something positive does happen.

Anyway, that's me.  That's how I go on about involvement in local governance.  I can't help myself. 

He cut me off in the middle of my sermon, though.  "Why should I have to worry about it?  I work a lot of hours.  I have a family and property to take care of.  I shouldn't have to worry about it.".  He went on to tell me that not everybody can be as involved as I am (although, truth to tell, it's really not that much), and that to me, it was a hobby, while to most people, it wasn't something that they had time for.

I suppose that I shouldn't have told him that politics was my hobby.  It's just part of my life.  It's part of everybody's life.  Some people are completely wrapped up in politics and governance.  Others pay as little attention as is humanly possible.  Most people are somewhere in between.   It's a matter of priorities.

So, why should you have to worry about it?  Well, you shouldn't worry about politics or government at all, as long as everything is to your liking. 

But there's something you don't like?  Well, see, you just started worrying about it right then and there.  Maybe you shouldn't have to worry.  But you're going to worry about it anyway.  So why not just spend a few minutes once a month or so and reach out to one of your representatives or local officials?  A phone call.  An e-mail (yes, some politicians do read and respond to constituent e-mails--it's how I came to be on a non-speaking basis with my city councilman).  A letter.  When I want someone to read my letter, I send it in a big envelope.  10" x 13".  I've found that I'm more likely to get a response that way.

Actually going down to their office is time-consuming, and probably best left to "hobbyists" like myself.  Not that I really have the time, either.  Damn politicians work during business hours.

So yes, you may have more on your plate than you can handle already.  Maybe you shouldn't have to worry about politics.  Maybe everything should already be right, and shouldn't need to be corrected.

But it's an imperfect world filled with imperfect people who make imperfect rules.  The folks that do worry about it may not always--or ever--get their way.  But at least they made their wishes known.

Because the rules are made by people who thought that they should bother.

It's Always Judgment Day Somewhere

(By JMadison.  Originally posted at the Smirking Chimp Friday, May 20th, 2011)

What time zone does Jesus use?

As you've probably heard, radio preacher Harold Camping has predicted that Judgment Day will commence at 6pm today, May 21st, 2011.

But 6pm where? You've heard it said that "It's always 5 o'clock somewhere". Well, then, is it always Judgment Day somewhere? I would like to know what time zone.

What if it's already past 6pm in Jeeziz' time zone, but it isn't 6pm yet here (Mountain Daylight Time)? Well? I don't want to get caught with my pants down, y'know?

So, 6pm where?

Or will Jeeziz come by and visit us in each time zone as it becomes 6pm?

They interviewed Camping on Nightline last night, but they didn't ask about the time zone thing. Stupid mainstream media.

At least he has the balls to call a date and time. Most doomsayers aren't that specific. It's easy to say that the stock market will crash or the world will burst into flames or whatever at some point in the future. You can even say that it's going to happen "soon".

But once you've put a date and time on it, you own it! The world better frikkin' end at 6pm on Saturday! Otherwise, it could be kind of embarrassing.

I mean, really, what's he going to say if Jeeziz doesn't start scooping up souls tonight? He wouldn't even entertain the question during the Nightline interview.

Millions, maybe thousands, of people are counting on the world ending tonight. Me, I'm not too focused on it.
But I would still like to know. 6pm where?

Update!

It's after midnight here now. That was a complete bust. If this was your first Judgment Day, please don't be discouraged. They're usually much better than this.

These fundienut non-denominational bible thumping churches just aren't very good at organizing a decent apocalypse.

Hell Yeah!

Damn straight!

You bet your sweet ass!

Dyn-O-Mite!

Wanna bet?

Winston tastes good like a cigarette should!

Don't you forget it, either!

Book him, Dan-O!

Tastes great!

Less filling!

All that said, there must be some really, really big conspiracy going on out there.  It's gotta be huge.  Just huge.

Tell me that you have a better explanation.

I swear!

You people just don't get it, do you?

Or maybe you don't want to "get it".  Maybe you think that if you don't "get it", then you won't "get it".

But if that's what you think, then you really don't get it.

It's getting really, really hard to stand my own greatness.  Why won't everybody listen to me?  I'm here.  I'm superior, and I know the UltimateTruthTM!

Ignore me at your own peril.

I was ignored at the Constitutional Convention, and look at what we ended up with.  The Senate. Lifetime judicial appointments.

Good thing I came up with the Electoral College.

Hell, yeah!

OK, so that hasn't always worked out so well.

But that was the real James Madison, not me.  I wouldn't have fucked it up nearly as badly.  I would've told the Federalists that they could have their way on everything, and then make the legalese incomprehensible, and give them nothing.

It would then have taken progressive judges to sort the whole thing out and then tell the Federalists that they were screwed.

John Adams would have had to die, though.

But that's all just so much blather.  The real point is...

Hell yeah! 

Hey there, Mr Regressive--how about a nice tall glass of shut the hell up?

That goes for you fake liberals, too.

You bet your bippy!

Fulmination!

The forces of darkness can't win if you keep that white phosphorous burning!  Remember to use it for illumination only.  No fair using it to burn people alive with.

Even Rush Limbaugh.  Or members of the Grand Conspiracy.

Maybe on certain people who occupy some of the corner offices at THECorporationsTM, though.  But only if they're pivotal to something, or otherwise of strategic importance.

FedEx--So easy, even a vice-president can use it!

That's right, folks!

By the way, I don't criticize other writers because I'm jealous or think that I'm better than they are.  I'm not jealous at all, because I know that I'm better than they are.

I criticize them because they are wrong.

I am correct.  They are incorrect.

That doesn't necessarily make me a better writer, though.  It makes me correct.  You can be a wonderful writer and still be wrong as hell about everything.

Hell yeah!

Now here's something to talk about, just not too loudly:

Loudmouth Kicked Off Train--Hell Yeah!

Like Anderson Cooper noted, what the hell would anyone talk about for 16 hours?  Inquiring minds want to know.  There must have been more than one call involved.

I tell ya, anyone who even thinks about using their cell phone in an inappropriate place, whether it's the quiet car on an Amtrak train, or a play where everyone around you paid $100 apiece not to hear you talk, should be beaten squarely about the head and neck with a car antenna.

There should also be roving security in such places authorized to smash your phone with a hammer right on the spot.

Same goes for assholes who take flash pictures in museums.

Hell yeah!

UPDATE!

Only 16 hours until Judgment Day!

Of course, that's by Mountain Daylight Time.

What time zone does Jeeziz use?

Maybe it's always Judgment Day somewhere, just like it's always 5 o'clock somewhere?

62 Foot Burning Jeeziz!

Judgment Day!  Boo Yah!

Let's hear what the Governator has to say:
John Connor: You just can't go around killing people.
The Terminator: Why?
John Connor: What do you mean why? 'Cause you can't.
The Terminator: Why?
John Connor: Because you just can't, OK? Trust me on this.

Hell Yeah!